Device for continuously feeding (synchronizing) essentially flat articles of the luxury-food or food industry, especially bars or strips of chocolate, to a packaging machine

ABSTRACT

A device for continuously feeding (synchronizing) essentially flat articles of the luxury-food or food industry, especially bars or strips of chocolate, to a packaging machine, in which carriers in a transport assembly introduce the articles into a tube of wrapping material and shape them into individual packages with it, characterized in that an infeed (25) for the articles (1) that operates transversely with respect to and is synchronized with a transport mechanism (3a) that operates at a constant speed and is equipped with carriers (3) is positioned upstream of the transport mechanism and in that buffers (30) for the articles arriving on the infeed are positioned between the carriers and controlled in such a way that the articles will enter the tube (5) of wrapping material in sequence and in a direction derived from the infeed and transport directions.

The invention concerns a device for continuously feeding (synchronizing)essentially flat articles of the luxury-food or food industry,especially bars or strips of chocolate, to a packaging machine, in whichcarriers in a transport assembly introduce the articles into a tube ofwrapping material and shape them into individual packages with it.

Only a certain packaging output can be achieved with packaging machinesof this type, which are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,470 because it isdifficult to feed the articles in. Since the tube of packaging materialcannot be completely closed, tightly sealed packages cannot be produced.Furthermore, they can be employed only to package solid articles becausethey are subjected to excessive stress when transported through themachine.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate this defect andprovide a device that allows thorough closure of even the most delicatearticles in a wrapping that is tightly sealed on all sides at a highpackaging output and without noticeable mechanical stress.

This object is attained in accordance with the invention in that aninfeed for the articles that operates transversely with respect to andis synchronized with a transport mechanism that operates at a constantspeed and is equipped with carriers is positioned upstream of thetransport mechanism and in that buffers for the articles arriving on theinfeed are positioned between the carriers and controlled in such a waythat the articles will enter the tube of wrapping material in sequenceand in a direction derived from the infeed and transport directions. Amechanism to control the buffers and carriers is provided in order totake out each frontmost article arriving from the infeed by means of itsassociated buffer without interference from the subsequent article asthe carriers move transversely.

Preferably, closure mechanisms are provided that are in themselves knownand that fasten the longitudinal edges of the tube of packaging materialtogether by welding or cementing once the carriers have been removed,the infeed is positioned upstream of the tube shaper, and the carrierscan be moved all the way into the operating range of the infeed in adirection opposite that of the transport mechanism that they are mountedon and transversely with respect to its direction of conveyance by meansof a control mechanism, can initially be retracted along with thepicked-up article into the entry range of the tube shaper, and, once thetube has been shaped, can be removed from it before it is sealed.

Preferably, the carriers are positioned in such a way that they can bemoved in guides transversely over the transport mechanism that thecarriers are mounted and connected to a control mechanism that activatesthem. The mechanism that controls the carriers and the buffers consistsof a curve guide, a grooved curve for example, that extends all the wayalong the transport mechanism and of guide rollers bordering them andresting on the shaft of the carriers.

To ensure reliable loading of the machine without malfunction, thebuffers are positioned between the carriers on the transport mechanismthat the carriers are mounted on in such a way that the buffers can bemoved, their heads supporting one side of the articles arriving in theinfeed before the side of the frontmost article is picked up by itsassociated carrier. A curved guide that extends along the direction ofconveyance and within which the buffers are guided by appropriate guiderollers is provided to control the buffers. Finally, a lead device isprovided at the side of the infeed to further guide the articles towardthe tube of wrapping material.

The theory behind the invention allows an extremely wide range ofpotential embodiments, one of which is illustrated in the drawings, inwhich

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the intake section of a packagingmachine,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the section of a packaging machine illustratedin FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 through 5 are details of FIG. 2 illustrating various operatingpositions of the carriers, and

FIG. 6 is a view along the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 2.

The articles to be packaged are in the present case for examplerectangular chocolate bars 1 that as illustrated in FIG. 1 are suppliedon a conveyor belt 2 to a tube shaper. The conveyance of articles 1 onbelt 2 is assisted with carriers 3, which lie one after another on atransport mechanism 3a positioned alongside supply belt 2. The functionand operation will be explained later herein. The wrapping material, apackaging foil 5 like a strip of hot-sealing aluminum foil for example,is taken from a supply roll 4 that rotates around a vertical axis andwrapped around the stream of chocolate bars in a U shape from the side.

A tube of wrapping material with a U-shaped cross-section and open onone side is constructed and chocolate bars 1 enter it lengthwise.Finally, wrapping-material tube 5 with articles 1 contained in ittravels between a pair 6 and 7 of conveyor belts that run over guiderollers 21. The further design and operation of the packaging machineare the object of a prior Application P No. 32 30 083.2-27 and need nofurther description herein. What is important is that the tube ofwrapping material is not sealed, by welding or cementing, along itlongitudinal edges until after the articles have been introduced intoit, upon which the now sealed tube is welded and divided between thesequence of articles.

The device in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2through 6. Upstream of tube shaper 4 and 5 is an infeed 25 in the formof a flat belt, which, as illustrated in FIG. 2, circulates in thedirection indicated by the arrow, transversely with respect to conveyorbelt 2. Articles 1 are supplied on the infeed belt along the directionindicated by the arrow and transversely with respect to the direction ofconveyance of belt 3a between the carriers 3 resting thereon. For thispurpose carriers 3 are retained in such a way that they can move inguides 26 on conveyance mechanism 3a transversely with respect to thedirection that the belt is moving in. The transverse movement isproduced in that carriers 3 move along with a guide roller 27 in a guidepath like the grooved curve 28 or similar structure illustrated by thedot-and-dash lines in FIG. 2. Other guides 29 are provided on transportmechanism 3a between carriers 3, and buffers 30 with their shafts alsoextending transversely with respect to the direction of conveyancetravel in guides 29 as well as along a curved guide 31 with guiderollers 32 (cf. FIG. 6).

Guide paths 28 and 31 extend all the way along transport mechanism 3aand are designed to move carriers 3 far enough out just upstream ofinfeed 25 to always pick up the frontmost article arriving in infeed 25as transport mechanism 3a advances and carry it to the side asillustrated in FIG. 2. Buffers 30 on the other hand are controlled insuch a way that they will rest against one side of articles 1 as thearticles are released from infeed 25 between carriers 3 and will retainthe articles while they are being transferred into the tube shaper andorient them in such a way that they will enter foil tube 5 in an orderlymanner, relieved of any backup pressure from the other articles.

The various steps in the procedure of sequentially transferring thearticles from infeed 25 between the carriers 3 on transport mechanism 3awill be evident from FIGS. 3 through 5. Another, laterally situated,guide belt 33 that travels over three pulleys 34 (FIG. 2) can beemployed if necessary to secure and guide the articles from the otherside as well.

To relieve the articles from the backup pressure of the articlesfollowing them on infeed 25, the tops of carriers 3 are articulatedtogether at their associated shafts and provided with a lateralprojection 35 that travels with a guide roller 37 along a curve guide 38and is accordingly guided by it. The overall motion of the carriers andbuffers is governed by curve guides 28, 31, and 38. These guides can begrooved guides engaged by guide rollers 27 or 32 (FIG. 6). The groovedguides can be provided in a cover plate 36 extending along and overtransport mechanism 3a.

It is also important for carriers 3 to be guided by grooved curve 28 insuch a way that they will be retracted from the wrapping-material tubeat just the right time before it is closed in order to arrive back intheir initial position upstream of infeed 25 and pick up a new article1.

The invention is naturally not restricted to the packaging of chocolatebars or strips, but can be employed as described to continuously producetightly sealed packages from a tube of wrapping material for a widerange of articles.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for continuously feeding synchronouslysubstantially flat articles, particularly, bars or strips of chocolate,to a packaging machine, comprising: transport means operating atconstant speed and having carriers for introducing the articles into atube of wrapping material and shaping the articles into individualpackages; infeed means for the articles and operating transversely withrespect to said transport means, said infeed operating synchronouslywith said transport means; said infeed means being positioned upstreamof said transport means; buffers for the articles arriving on saidinfeed means and positioned between said carriers, said buffers beingcontrolled so that the articles will enter said tube of wrappingmaterial in sequence and in a direction derived from infeed andtransport directions; said buffers being separated from said carriers,said buffers and carriers having motions controlled independently of oneanother for inserting the articles into said tubes of wrapping material;said articles being moved away to a side from their initial transportdirection and subsequently said articles being moved by a substantiallysmall amount opposite to the initial transport direction, said articlesbeing thereafter transported along a curved path.
 2. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1, including means for controlling said buffers andsaid carriers so that each frontmost article arriving from said infeedmeans by a respective buffer without interference from a subsequentarticle as said carriers move transversely.
 3. Apparatus as defined inclaim 1, including closure means for fastening longitudinal edges ofsaid tube of wrapping material together after said carriers have beenremoved; a tube shaper, said infeed means being positioned upstream ofsaid tube shaper; control means for moving said carriers into operatingrange of said infeed means in a direction opposite to the direction ofsaid transport means and transversely with respect to direction oftransport, said infeed means being initially retracted along with apicked-up article into entry range of said tube shaper, said infeedmeans being removable after said tube has been shaped and before saidtube is sealed.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, including guides,said carriers being positioned so that they can be moved in said guidestransversely over said transport means, said carrier being mounted andconnected to said control means.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4,wherein said control means for controlling said carriers and saidbuffers comprises a curved guide extending along said transport means;and guide rollers bordering said buffers and resting on a shaft of saidcarriers.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said buffers arepositioned on said transport means, said carriers being mounted so thatsaid buffers are movable transversely, said buffers having headssupporting one side of the articles arriving in said infeed means beforea side of the frontmost article is picked up by its respective carrier.7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, including a curved guide extendingalong direction of transport, said buffers being guided within saidcurved guide, and guide rollers for controlling said buffers. 8.Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including lead means at a side of saidinfeed means for guiding further said articles toward said tube ofwrapping material.
 9. Apparatus for continuously feeding synchronouslysubstantially flat articles, particularly, bars or strips of chocolate,to a packaging machine, comprising: transport means operating atconstant speed and having carriers for introducing the articles into atube of wrapping material and shaping the articles into individualpackages; infeed means for the articles and operating transversely withrespect to said transport means, said infeed operating synchronouslywith said transport means; said infeed means being positioned upstreamof said transport means; buffers for the articles arriving on saidinfeed means and positioned between said carriers, said buffers beingcontrolled so that the articles will enter said tube of wrappingmaterial in sequence and in a direction derived from infeed andtransport directions; and buffers being separated from said carriers,said buffers and carriers having motions controlled independently of oneanother for inserting the articles into said tubes of wrapping material;said articles being moved away to a side from their initial transportdirection and subsequently said articles being moved by a substantiallysmall amount opposite to the initial transport direction, said articlesbeing thereafter transported along a curved path; means for controllingsaid buffers and said carriers so that each frontmost article arrivingfrom said infeed means by a respective buffer without interference froma subsequent article as said carriers move transversely; closure meansfor fastening longitudinal edges of said tube of wrapping materialtogether after said carriers have been removed; a tube shaper, saidinfeed means being positioned upstream of said tube shaper; controlmeans for moving said carriers into operating range of said infeed meansin a direction opposite to the direction of said transport means andtransversely with respect to direction of transport, said infeed meansbeing initially retracted along with a picked-up article into entryrange of said tube shaper, said infeed means being removable after saidtube has been shaped and before said tube is sealed; guides, saidcarriers being positioned so that they can be moved in said guidestransversely over said transport means, said carrier being mounted andconnected to said control means; said control means for controlling saidcarriers and said buffers comprises a curved guide extending along saidtransport means; and guide rollers bordering said buffers and resting ona shaft of said carriers; said buffers are positioned on said transportmeans, said carriers being mounted so that said buffers are movabletransversely, said buffers having heads supporting one side of thearticles arriving in said infeed means before a side of the frontmostarticle is picked up by its respective carrier; a curved guide extendingalong direction of transport, said buffers being guided within saidcurved guide, and guide rollers for controlling said buffers; lead meansat a side of said infeed means for guiding further said articles towardsaid tube of wrapping material.